10 Best Jazz Albums of All Time

What are the best jazz albums to listen to if you want to fully understand and learn how to play this music?

Let's go over the top 10 you absolutely need to know.

CHAPTER:
00:00 Intro
01:11 Album #1 (Early jazz)
03:15 Album #2 (Swing era)
05:40 Album #3 (Bebop era)
08:06 Album #4 (Hard bop)
09:47 Album #5 (Modal jazz)
11:34 Album #6 (Cool jazz)
12:41 Album #7 (Free jazz)
14:08 Album #8 (Post bop)
15:49 Album #9 (Fusion)
18:16 Album #10 (Modern jazz)

💥Important Links and Resources💥

[jeffsmith]

As a young saxophonist, I was told to listen to Cannonball Adderley's "Somethin' Else". Worked for me.

[sergio.ssantos]

I'm a giant Coltrane fanboy, but Mingus's "Black Saint and The Sinner Lady" is impressive and made a huge impact on me. It's like what Hendrix would do if he played jazz. What a ride.

[rodroller]

Kind of Blue, Giant Steps, Time Out. And as a dark horse, The Nightfly. The real cool Jazz starter collection.

[henningk]

I would definitely mention Keith Jarrett. His solo improvisations are unique and some of the longer pieces are unbelievable in their improvisation. The Köln concert is a must. If you want to stretch a little to the other side of the pond I could imagine having Esbjorn Svensson Trio in there.

[CadillacL]

Brubeck’s Time Out & Coltrane’s Giant Steps for sure belongs on this list! Coltrane’s A Love Supreme deserves mention!

[michaeldain]

Thanks for the list. For fun I came up with my list. I was going for some alternate directions. Hard to argue top 10 style choices for a player vs a listener. Armstrong - Hot 5 and 7
Blanton Webster band- Ellington
Love Supreme - Coltrane
Ahmad’s Blues - Ahmad Jamal
Quintet live at Massey Hall
Koln Concert - Keith Jarrett
Monks Music - Thelonious Monk
Miles - Nefertiti
Jimmy Guiffre 3
Miles- Kind of Blue

[carltwidle]

I saw Miles Davis in concert in the 1980s. It was around the time of his Tutu album release. His back up band were very funky.

[lawrenceszabo]

"10 Best" can presented in different contexts. I like very much that you presented your "best" list in an historical context. Please, more presentations with an historical approach.

[tompetteruti]

Paul Gonsalves and Bobby Hackett both studied guitar with my grandfather Joe Petteruti in Providence, RI during the 1930s at our family music store Twin City Music.

[patricksullivan]

I would nominate 'Louis and Ella' from 1956, they were backed by Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich. 'Blue Rose', also from the mid '50, has Billy Strayhorn playing piano for a youthful Rosemary Clooney, joined by the Ellington Orchestra. 'Diggin Up Bones' has John, Martin and Bucky Pizzarelli, Rebecca Kilgore and other jazz musicians joining The West Texas Tumbleweeds for jazz treatments of country tunes. 'Old Sock', with Eric Clapton displaying a charming voice on some jazz standards. 'Happy Feet' with Emilie Claire Barlow doing some Canadian Scat.

[rkaratsu]

Nice video! I guess for someone like me who grew up listening to rock (and pop in the 70s), albums like "Heavy Weather", "Spectrum", "Inner Mounting Flame" and "Headhunters" were examples of ones that opened my ears and probably more important made me curious enough to start to look at the connection people like Herbie Hancock or Wayne Shorter or Joe Zawinul had to the music that preceded (and influenced) them.

[tombillard]

As an a.person whose only been into jazz for a few years, in my fifties its freakin awesome i have a hundred years or more of albums /performers to explore, all new to me, ill never get caught up but it will be fun

[joelaffolter]

Are 'universal'
This is in 'synthesis', with this we already go far.Always subject to caution when we do this 'kind of thing', it is my choice by observation, there are other possibilities in addition, but in less I ask to see.Concerning the recordings you can 'type' in all these names you will never be disappointed.Thanks for the video

[TurambarRO]

Great podcast. Thanks! However, significant misses
Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Music (1957)
Charles Mingus – Ah Um (1959)
Lee Morgan – The Sidewinder (1964)
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Getz / Gilberto (1964)
Weather Report – Heavy Weather (1977)
Oscar Peterson - Oscar Peterson Live! (1986)

[markhighfill]

Everybody puts "Kind of Blue"on these lists.I really think the 5 albums, with the quintet that preceded it, get overlooked. I love Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones on those recordings. Best band ever!

[nikitacarter]

Solo Monk by Thelonius Monk. Free For All by Art Blakey. Karma by Pharoah Sanders.

[KennethMcElroy-gskh]

I'm a jazz writer and I prodiluced a jazz documentary series for the cultural center of a public library. I really like this video. Great informative job!

[tedpowers]

Coltrane’s Ballad album is awesome. Easily digestible as opposed to Giant Steps. Early swing players like Charlie Christian and Lester Young are great places to start

[tatedavis]

I’ll go ahead and rattle off some jazz albums that have helped me be a better drummer:

Sonny Stitt- Blows The Blues
John Coltrane- Crescent
John Coltrane- Black Pearls
Joe Henderson- In Japan
Joe Henderson- Power To The People
Freddie Hubbard- Red Clay
Ornette Coleman- The Empty Foxhole
Sonny Rollins- Saxophone Colossus
Sonny Rollins- Tenor Madness
Lee Morgan- Cornbread

[jazzbob]

Great job giving a quick overview of Jazz History. The representative albums is a very good way of showing the history. I have never heard of the last artist. I need to listen to him.